


Shimmer

by supershadsy



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Ending, Gen, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6052023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershadsy/pseuds/supershadsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>We're here and now, will we ever be again? 'Cause I have found all that shimmers in this world is sure to fade away again.</i><br/>("Shimmer", Fuel, <i>Sunburn</i>)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shimmer

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone who's read [Storms](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5758972), my take on the alternate ending of _Tales of Zestiria_ , knows that they're probably in for a bad time. Anyway, enjoy!

_Damn it,_ Zack thought, gritting his teeth. _Looks like Shinra's caught up to us._

Midgar was still a blip on the horizon, the mechanical city rising above the desert, but there was still another few miles to go. _And by the sound of it, it seems like there are going to be a lot of them._ He adjusted Cloud on his shoulder, scanning the area for a place to hide him. Cloud, while still suffering from Mako addiction, had become a little more responsive over the past few days, even being able to walk on his own instead of being dragged, but he was a ways from full recovery. _Just a little longer, a little more time, and we could make it to Midgar._ He eased him down, propped up against the side of a rock, careful so his head didn't hit too hard.

"There we go," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "Just hang tight, bud. Let me take care of these guys and we'll keep going." He grinned, bending his head over to make contact with Cloud's glowing, blue eyes. _Just one last time._

_One last time._

He bounced up, taking a deep breath and nodding to himself before turning his back and walking out to where Shinra soldiers had already begun to creep up. _There are too many, too many,_ he thought, biting the inside of his cheek. _I..._

_(protect your honor)_

He grunted, pulling his sword out from his back and holding it in front of him. _The price of freedom is steep._ "E-embrace your dreams..." he stammered, tightening his whole body. "And whatever happens...protect your honor...as SOLDIER!" He sliced his sword out to the side, as even more Shinra military had appeared in the meantime. _"Come and get it!"_

Zack rushed forward, Buster Sword pointed forward, and rammed it into one of the guards, slicing it to rid them from the blade. Gunshots pierced the darkening sky, whizzing by his ears and his entire body. _Gotta keep moving,_ he thought, huffing as he slashed away at the guards in his immediate vicinity. _If I keep moving, I won't be such an easy target--_

The first bullet grazed the side of his arm, searing heat through his bicep. _Shoot!_ As he glanced down at it, one of the guards hit him in the head with the backside of his revolver, making his head spin. He felt blood trickle down the side of his nose. _Come on, Zack! Stay focused, stay focused!_

He narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth. _"HHHRAH!"_ he yelled, surging ahead in full force, spinning his sword and slashing every way he could muster. One by one, guards fell to the ground, but more kept coming--from the ground, from the air, every place imaginable. _They have to stop eventually_

_(they won't stop)_

_They'll run out of guards, or they'll just retreat until we get into the city_

_(they won't stop until you're dead)_

"No," he grunted as he slashed a guard across the chest. "I won't stop... _fighting!"_

Just before he preformed an overhead swing, he felt bullets fly from behind him, shooting one of the guards several times in the neck and chest. Zack whipped around. "What!?" he exclaimed, eyes wide. "Cloud--!"

He was weaving as he stood, but he had one of the infantry's rifles in his hand, shooting with shoddy aim, but as much firepower as the gun would allow him. Even as the guards chased him, Zack ran up to him, holding him by the shoulders. "Buddy, what the hell are you doing?" he said, shaking him. "Go back and hide out--"

"N-no..." Cloud muttered. "Let me...help you..."

_Cloud..._ Zack's throat became closed and tight. "No, no, listen," he insisted. "You can barely stand, just--"

Cloud jerked away from him, despite his swaying, and he shook his head. "I'll...fight."

Before he could reply, Zack's breath was abruptly cut off by a rifle choked against his throat. He struggled to pull it back, eventually resorting to kicking his knee back to wind the soldier. From there, he slashed his sword across his stomach, blood spewing everywhere. "Fine! Just stay back!" Zack hollered. _We both have to get out of here alive._

_Aerith's waiting for me..._

The guards kept coming, and Zack kept fighting, despite the bruises he was gaining, despite the gunshots, despite the blood oozing from his arms and his face. For every five soldiers he beat down with his sword, Cloud managed to get one with the guns, although slow to pick up a new, abandoned rifle when he ran out of ammo. _He shouldn't be out here, he shouldn't be out here!_ His muscles screamed at him, fatigue trying to drown his reflexes as he fought. He glanced back at Cloud to see that he was starting to be spotted with red as well. _I have to make this...quick..._

_Angeal..._

_Watch over me..._

It seemed like an endless tirade, and the bodies were starting to pile around him as he kept forward, kept slashing, slashing, slashing. Stabbing, stabbing, stabbing. _When will it end?_ The sky grew darker still, and the only relief he found was that the helicopters that were swarming from above had vanished, save for one in the far distance. _Maybe...maybe this will be over..._

_Just...get to safety...get to Aerith..._

_(soft green eyes and that beautiful smiling face, the face that I've missed so much)_

The thought of her brought new energy surging through his veins, even as his eyes and throat burned with exhaustion. _Cloud will love her, too. I'm positive of it._ He swung with vigor, ignoring his blackening vision in the corners of his eyes. _We'll get back to the church, get fixed up, and then..._

_...who knows?_

Behind him, a heavy thud jarred him from his thoughts. "Damn it, _Cloud!"_ he barked, running backwards before turning a full sprint to his side. Cloud had collapsed, blood running from his head, coughing and panting. _I wasn't paying attention, shit!_ His legs didn't seem to work as he wanted to, collapsing underneath him while he tried to prop him up. "C'mon, stay with me!" 

"Z-Zack..." he croaked. Zack put a hand on his chest, and when he lifted it, it was sticky with blood. _No, no..._ "D-do you...do you think...I..."

"S-stop," he said, glancing behind him. There were significantly less guards behind him, and the ones that were left were beginning to retreat. "Let's go, l-let's just--"

He tried to lift him up over his shoulder, but his arms refused, pain roaring through his arms and making his vision double. _"Argh--!"_ he grunted, trying again. "Come on, _come on!"_

Gunfire pierced the sky as a lone helicopter spun above them, gushing wind strong enough for him to cower. _"Damn it, they sent more!"_ he shouted. _We're both so beat up, I don't know if we can take anymore punishment--!_

Surprisingly, the firing seemed to go all around them, leaving Zack and Cloud in an invisible barrier, ignored by the infantry. As he gawked at the sight, Cloud went limp in his arms. "Hey, _hey!"_ he cried, shaking him. "Don't you d-dare..."

Zack pressed his forehead against Cloud's, grabbing a fistful of his blonde hair in the process. "P-please...we're in this...together..." he choked. His head spun, and it took all of his energy to keep Cloud upright.

"Mmn..." Cloud groaned, coughing blood onto Zack's neck. "We're...friends, right?"

Zack heart thudded hard in his own head

_("I wouldn't do that to you. We're friends, right?")_

and his vision blurred. "Yeah," he replied, chuckling even though it made him cough. "We're friends."

_"Zack!"_

He looked up and let go of Cloud's head, letting it fall heavy onto his chest as Cissnei came running toward them. The Shinra military was nowhere to be found. "Damn it, we were _supposed_ to get here before them," she cursed, shuriken at her side. "Rude and Reno are coming in that helicopter, got a special delivery--"

"Cloud? _Cloud!"_ Zack pushed him back up, trying to hold him upright. His eyes were closed, and he was even more pale than he remembered. "C-come _on...!"_

"Easy, easy!" she said, holding him back. It only took a small pull from her to let go of him, weak as he was, and Cloud slumped to the ground, blood trickling onto the desert dirt beneath him. "Just...oh, no..."

Cissnei left Zack to examine Cloud, and a wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to lay back as well, the sky swirling above him. "D-don't...be dead..." he muttered, blood bubbling from his lips. "P-please...let me save...someone..."

"H-he's..." Cissnei said, voice shaking. "He's not breathing..."

He squeezed his eyes shut. _Damn it! After all this...after all this...why?!_

_Why can't I help anyone...!?_

The rumbling of the helicopter became more present, and he felt himself being lifted up, arms under his back. "Come on," Cissnei said. 

"T-take...Cloud, too..." he mumbled, trying to open his eyes.

"Zack, I--"

_"Listen to me!"_ he shouted, grabbing her by the collar with all the energy he had left. The sudden outburst made him cough, sputtering blood all over her pristine suit. "F-forget...about me, j-just...m-make sure...he makes it, okay?"

Even with his limited vision, he could sense the doubt in her eyes. "I'll try," she said simply.

Zack's body fell limp, and he gave into his fatigue, fingers slowly relaxing. _You better do more than that,_ he thought, before his consciousness faded.


End file.
